Lore ·
Orc Clans Explained: Frostwolf, Warsong, Blackrock and More
The orc clans are the separate peoples of Draenor that were merged into the Old Horde, beaten in the Second War, held in Alliance internment camps and freed by Thrall, with the Warsong and Frostwolf clans, before World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) begins. Warcraft Wiki's Orc page lists all six among its main clans, as of November 9, 2026.
Quick answer: Frostwolf refused demon blood and hid in the Alterac Mountains. Warsong drank it, then logged Ashenvale. Blackrock gave the Horde its first two Warchiefs. Dragonmaw enslaved a dragon queen. Bleeding Hollow was posted outside Ironforge's gates. The Burning Blade is a demon-crazed clan whose secret cult works in Orgrimmar.
Key facts
- Home world: Draenor (Warcraft Wiki)
- After the Second War: survivors were held in camps in southern Lordaeron (Warcraft Wiki)
- Liberator: Thrall, with the Warsong and Frostwolf clans (Warcraft Wiki)
- Setting: Forever is its own continuity, year 25 after the Dark Portal; later expansions are left out
Which orc clans matter in WoW Forever's timeline?
Warcraft Wiki's clan pages tie these six to the wars, the camps or the New Horde.
- Frostwolf: chieftain Durotan refused the blood of Mannoroth, and Gul'dan expelled the clan, which hid in the Alterac Mountains. Drek'Thar kept it there rather than join Thrall in Orgrimmar.
- Warsong: Grommash Hellscream's clan. He drank Mannoroth's blood in Ashenvale; after Thrall's forces captured him, priests and shaman purified him, and he died in the battle where he and Thrall slew Mannoroth. After the Third War its Outriders fought Silverwing Sentinels in Warsong Gulch.
- Blackrock: Orgrim Doomhammer killed Blackhand and led the clan as Warchief. Free Blackrocks under Blackhand's sons Rend and Maim formed the Dark Horde at Blackrock Mountain, and the black dragon Nefarian later gained the clan's servitude.
- Dragonmaw: under Zuluhed, with the warlock Nekros Skullcrusher using the Demon Soul to enslave Alexstrasza; the clan was based at Grim Batol, which held her prison. The wiki's original-WoW section has the survivors operating in the Wetlands.
- Bleeding Hollow: Kilrogg Deadeye led the clan, and Blackhand ordered him to lead an assault on Stormwind. In the Second War, Doomhammer stationed the clan outside the gates of Ironforge and Gnomeregan to contain the dwarves and gnomes. Survivors were interned.
- Burning Blade: the Orc page calls it a clan of demon-crazed orcs with powerful Blademasters; the wiki says a Draenor clan of that name joined the Horde. On Azeroth, a demon named Zmodlor founded a cult of the same name, and the warlock Neeru Fireblade led it in secret inside Orgrimmar, with a coven in the Valley of Trials. The page does not say how the two are related.
How did Thrall free the clans?
Warcraft Wiki says large camps were built in southern Lordaeron, with Durnholde Keep as the new center and Aedelas Blackmoore as chief warden. Durotan and Draka were killed by guards loyal to the Shadow Council, and Blackmoore raised their infant son Go'el as Thrall.
The wiki says Thrall and Orgrim Doomhammer, with the Warsong and Frostwolf clans, liberated the captives and formed the New Horde before the Third War. Doomhammer fell during the liberation of one camp; Hammerfall is named as where he died. The Horde left Lordaeron from Southshore. Read Who Is Thrall? and The Orcs of Azeroth.
Where do you meet the clans in WoW Forever?
Warcraft Wiki says the Searing Blade, a sister cult of the Burning Blade, held Ragefire Chasm; see the Ragefire Chasm guide. It also places a Burning Blade coven in the Valley of Trials.
What is not confirmed yet
- Forever-specific changes: no source I opened lists orc clan changes for Forever.
- Frostwolf and Bleeding Hollow: I found no Forever quest or Lore Forever site entry for either clan.
How can the Lore Forever add-on and Willo help with orc clans?
The free Lore Forever add-on is fan-made, not affiliated with Blizzard and has no internet access. Its site has lore entries for the Blackrock, Burning Blade, Warsong and Dragonmaw clans; open the add-on with your key, the minimap book or /lore and type a clan name to see what matches. Willo is a separate companion app for Windows 10 or 11 and Apple Silicon Macs (macOS 12 or later) per her page; CurseForge still calls her a Windows app. She is free to start with 50 answers a day, can be wrong, and is not official.
Frequently asked questions
Which orc clans are in WoW Forever's story?
Warcraft Wiki ties Frostwolf, Warsong, Blackrock, Dragonmaw, Bleeding Hollow and the Burning Blade to the Second War and its aftermath.
Which clan did Thrall belong to?
Frostwolf. Warcraft Wiki says he learned he was Durotan's heir and trained under Drek'Thar.
Who freed the orcs from the camps?
Thrall, with the Warsong and Frostwolf clans, says Warcraft Wiki.
Are the Burning Blade and the Searing Blade the same?
No. Warcraft Wiki calls the Searing Blade a sister group of the Burning Blade, based in Ragefire Chasm.
Where did the Frostwolf clan live?
In a hidden Alterac Mountains valley, per Warcraft Wiki.
Sources
Reviewed November 9, 2026. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.